Drawing lessons from the way that plant communities establish themselves in the wild all over the world, Noel Kingsbury explores planting schemes designed to suit the existing condition of your garden. If your soil is poor and fast draining it is best to choose those tough hardy cultivars that will thrive in these conditions. He also recommends an informal planting style that echoes nature: structure is loose rather than tight, and perennials are blended together rather than grouped in a rigid manner. Conventional gardening can result in highly artificial environments, but this book advocates a way of using perennials that works with - rather than against - nature. Once established, these environmentally-friendly plantings need minimal upkeep and require less watering, less feeding and fewer chemicals than conventional ones.